wilder

verb

wil·​der ˈwil-dər 

wildered; wildering; wilders

transitive verb

1

archaic : to lead astray

2

archaic : bewilder, perplex

intransitive verb

archaic : to move at random : wander

wilderment

ˈwil-dər-mənt 

noun archaic

Examples of wilder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But the public reaction has been even wilder, even more lawless. —Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2024

Starring Paul Mescal as Lucius, a young prisoner turned gladiator, this sequel goes bigger and wilder than its predecessor, including monkeys, rhinos and even sharks within its grand action sequences. —Manuel Betancourt, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024

But the memoir is also weirder and wilder than this description implies. —Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024

General comment on the season: This season showed a balance between optimism and darkness, illustrated by the duality of the collections and the growing vibe of a darker and wilder assumed woman. —WWD, 3 Sep. 2019

Word History

Etymology

probably irregular from wilderness

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Biographical Definition

Wilder 1 of 3

biographical name (1)

Wil·​der ˈwī(-ə)l-dər 

Billy 1906–2002 born Samuel Wilder American (Polish-born) filmmaker

Wilder

2 of 3

biographical name (2)

Laura Ingalls 1867–1957 née Laura Ingalls American author

Wilder

3 of 3

biographical name (3)

Thornton Niven 1897–1975 American author